Category: basketball

The Chancellor’s position has become untenable now because of athletic boosters and anti-intellectuals like Art Pope pounding the drums of “scandal.” These people are not concerned with the quality of education available to North Carolinians. Of course the Kupec/Hansbrough thing was a big mistake, but it doesn’t make Thorp unfit to do all the many things required of a good university chancellor. Let’s don’t blame Thorp for having to clean up the mess left by decades of athletic corruption and mismanagement.

I’ve had several interesting conversations on Twitter and Facebook today about my discomfort with the way we celebrate Veteran’s Day here in the United States. This is exacerbated by the fact that the UNC men’s basketball team is playing their thrilling season opener against Michigan State tonight on an aircraft carrier in honor of Veteran’s Day. I’ve been looking forward to this game for months, and yet so much of the hoopla around it is wrapped in a flag and holding a gun. This really comes home when I think about how it will feel to watch this with Izzy. It’s the first time we’ll really be watching basketball together as a family, something I have anticipated since he was born just days before UNC won the national championship in 2009.

Coach Roy Williams said about this game “To me, it’s a way of honoring our military. That’s what it boils down to.” I’m left wondering if I’m still allowed to enjoy the game even though I’m pacifist. I’m not opposed to their service, but I don’t really want to honor it any more than I do teachers, civil rights activists, peace corps members, doctors without borders, and so many others that also make sacrifices to benefit the global community.

Here are some excerpts of the conversation on Facebook (Twitter has been, well, less productive):

Ruby: Trying to balance my excitement about watching UNC basketball tonight with my revulsion at the showbiz celebration of government-trained killers in the “Carrier Classic.”

Let’s just play some good basketball and try to ignore the camo-themed uniforms.

Congrats to LaToya and Erlana! Also my still-favorite player Ivory Latta moved from the Detroit Shock to the Atlanta Dream this year which is great for everybody (especially her, with family in South Carolina). North Carolina seniors LaToya Pringle and Erlana Larkins became the 13th and 14th players in school history to be selected in …

Can you smell it? Carolina Basketball season is almost here! I have done my annual slogging through the schedule to create a calendar that I can put into iCal and my phone, and I did it in Google so that you can use it too. There are a few other UNC basketball calendars out there, …

I am seriously considering the Friday morning event, but I can’t do Sunday night. Given how hard it is for me to just stay awake for these evening games, I’m safer watching them at home. 😉 Women’s Basketball Send-Off from Carmichael! – Friday, March 30th * Send the UNC Women’s Basketball team off to the …

(Cross-posted from OrangePolitics.) Hours after the men’s basketball team fell to Georgetown in the NCAA tournament, a student who cheers the team as Rameses passed away after being hit by an SUV on Friday. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jason Ray. Also, consolations to seniors Rayshawn Terry, Wes Miller, and …

Carolina is now out of the NCAA tournament after losing to Georgetown 96-84. I believe UNC has had 7 losses this season, but this was by far the most inexplicable. After leading throughout most of the game, Georgetown started to make a scoring run while UNC started to shoot nothing but high-risk 3-point shots, missing …

March Madness is in full swing, and after suffering through someone else’s not-very-well updated men’s calendar (which didn’t include tournament games!) and making my own schedule to publish the UNC women’s basketball schedule, I have finally got it all together in one place. Introducing Ruby’s Unofficial Basketball Calendar. Never miss a game again! This includes …

It’s unusual for me to root for NC State, they’re Carolina‘s #2 rival. But our chief rival and bogeyman is Duke. In today’s ACC semi-final, NC State (#4) beat the undefeated Duke. I love this for so many reasons: As a true Carolina fan, it’s always nice to see Duke lose. (The Waner sisters and …

Wow. This might be enough to tear me away from the televised UNC women’s basketball game against FSU. Hollywood screenwriter and producer Norman Steinberg, who co-wrote the screenplay for Mel Brooks’ landmark 1974 Western comedy “Blazing Saddles,” will show and discuss the movie at 7 p.m. Monday in 116 Murphey Hall on the UNC-Chapel Hill …

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Welcome to the online home of Ruby Sinreich - mother, Buddhist, feminist, anti-racist, network organizer, localist, music lover, Durhamite, open source geek, Drupalist, and web developer who has worked in progressive advocacy organizations and online communities for over two decades.

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